Showing posts with label Jewelry Design. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jewelry Design. Show all posts

Monday, May 16, 2016

the treasure unearthed at el lahun

       Like the other Twelfth Dynasty pyramids in the Faiyum, the Pyramid of Lahun is made of mud brick, but here the core of the pyramid consists of a network of stone walls that were infilled by mud brick. This approach was probably intended to ensure the stability of the brick structure. Unusually, despite a Pyramid Temple on the east side, the entrance to the pyramid is on the south. The archaeologist Flinders Petrie nevertheless spent considerable time searching for it on the east side. He discovered the entrance only when workmen clearing the nearby tombs of the nobles discovered a small tunnel at the bottom of a 40-foot shaft, which led to the royal burial chamber. Evidently the original workmen on the tomb had used their legitimate activity as a cover for digging this tunnel, which enabled them to rob the pyramid. Once he was in the burial chamber, Petrie was able to work backwards to the entrance.
Entry to the "jewelry tomb" at El Lahun.
       The pyramid stands on an artificial terrace cut from sloping ground. On the north side eight rectangular blocks of stone were left to serve as mastabas, probably for the burial of personages associated with the royal court. In front of each mastaba is a narrow shaft leading down to the burial chamber underneath. Also on the north side is the Queen's Pyramid or subsidiary pyramid.
       The most remarkable discovery was that of the village of the workers who both constructed the pyramid and then served the funerary cult of the king. The village, conventionally known as Kahun, is about 800 meters from the pyramid and lies in the desert a short distance from the edge of cultivation. When found, many of the buildings were extant up to roof height, and Petrie confirmed that the true arch was known and used by the workmen in the village. However, all the buildings found were demolished in the process of excavation, which proceeded in long strips down the length of the village. When the first strip had been cleared, mapped and drawn, the next strip was excavated and the spoil dumped in the previous strip. As a result, there is very little to be seen on the site today.
       The village was excavated by Petrie in 1888-90 and again in 1914. The excavation was remarkable for the number, range, and quality of objects of everyday life (including tools) that were found in the houses. According to Dr Rosalie David's Pyramid Builders of Ancient Egypt, "the quantity, range and type of articles of everyday use which were left behind in the houses may indeed suggest that the departure [of the workmen] was sudden and unpremeditated"
       Among the curiosities found there were wooden boxes buried beneath the floors of many of the houses. When opened they were found to contain the skeletons of infants, sometimes two or three in a box, and aged only a few months at death. Petrie reburied these human remains in the desert.
       Also found in the town were the Kahun papyri, comprising about 1000 fragments, covering legal and medical matters. Re-excavation of the area in 2009 by Egyptian archaeologists revealed a cache of pharaonic-era mummies in brightly painted wooden coffins in the sand-covered desert rock surrounding the pyramid.
       The site was occupied into the late Thirteenth Dynasty, and then again in the New Kingdom, when there were large land reclamation schemes in the area.
       The town was laid out in a regular plan, with mud-brick town walls on 3 sides. No evidence was found of a fourth wall, which may have collapsed and been washed away during the annual inundation. The town was rectangular in shape and was divided internally by a mudbrick wall as large and strong as the exterior walls. This wall divided about one third of the area of the town and in this smaller area the houses consisted of rows of back-to-back, side-by-side single room houses. The larger area, which was higher up the slope and thus benefited from whatever breeze was blowing, contained a much smaller number of large, multi-room villas. The size of the houses ranged from 2,520 square meters for the elite houses to 120 square meters for small houses. Petrie compared the village to a Welsh mining village, where the workers lived in terraces in the valley while the mine owner and overseers lived in larger houses up the hill.
       A major feature of the town was the so-called ‘acropolis’ building. This was an important building, as indicated by the presence of column bases. Petrie suggested that this may have been the King’s residence whilst he was visiting construction work. The building seems to have been out of use and derelict before the end of occupation.
       Other records show that there were a large number of Semitic slaves in Egypt during the Twelfth Dynasty  It is interesting that some of the villas were constructed of layers of mudbrick separated by layers of reed matting, a technique used in Mesopotamia. Furthermore, burial beneath the living quarters of a house was a custom noted at Ur by Woolley. It is possible that the workers who were so carefully guarded by the village wall and separated from the overseers by an equally strong wall were Semitic (Asiatic) slaves not trusted by their overseers.
       It was announced by the Supreme Council of Antiquities on 26 April 2009 that an anthology of pharaonic-era mummies vividly painted wooden coffins were uncovered near the Lahun pyramid in Egypt. The sarcophagi were decorated with bright hues of green, red and white bearing images of their occupants. Archaeologists unearthed dozens of mummies, thirty of which were very well preserved with prayers purposed to help the deceased in the afterlife inscribed upon them. The site, once enveloped in slabs of white limestone, revealed that it could possibly be thousands of years older than previously thought.
       Experts think that a new understanding of Egyptian funerary architecture and customs of the Middle Pharaonic Kingdom all the way to the Roman era could be learned from the exploration of the dozens of tombs encompassing the site near the Lahun, Egypt’s southernmost pyramid. "The tombs were cut on the rock itself, and they vary in architectural designs," said archaeologist Abdul Rahman Al-Ayedi, head of excavations at the site. . Some of the tombs were erected on top of gravesites from earlier eras. Ayedi told reporters, "The prevailing idea was that this site has been established by Senusret II, the fourth king of the 12th dynasty. But in light of our discovery, I think we are going to change this theory, and soon we will announce another discovery." He said teams had made a discovery of an artifact that was dated earlier than the 12th dynasty, but did not include any specifics on the item and promised an official statement would be made within days.
       Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities announced May 23, 2010 that 57 ancient Egyptian tombs were discovered in an area close to Lahun. Most of the graves contained an ornamental painted wooden sarcophagus with a mummy inside. Some of the tombs date from the Egyptian First and Second Dynasties, as far back as 2750 BC. Several of the sites were decorated with hieroglyphics that the ancients believed would help the deceased travel through the afterlife.
       Twelve of the tombs were found to belong to the 18th dynasty which ruled Egypt during the second millennium BC. Egypt's archaeology chief, Zahi Hawass, said the mummies that date to the 18th dynasty are covered in linen decorated with religious texts from the Book of the Dead and scenes of ancient Egyptian deities. The discovery might help experts have a better understanding of the ancient Egyptian religions. Some of the tombs are decorated with religious texts that ancient Egyptians believed would help the deceased cross over to the underworld, said Abdel Rahman El-Aydi, chief archeologist of project.
       El-Aydi said one of the oldest tombs is almost completely intact, with all of its funerary equipment and a wooden sarcophagus containing a mummy wrapped in linen.
       In 31 of the tombs, dating back to around 2030 - 1840 B.C., during the Middle Kingdom Era, archeologists found scenes of different ancient Egyptian deities, such as the Horus, Amun, Hathor & Khnum decorated on the tombs. Wikipedia
       The jewelry and personal hygiene items made up the majority of the artifacts found at El Luhun, apart from the coffins and mummies. I've included the largest available sizes of those detailed illustrations of the jewelry, for teachers who need to develop Power Point presentations for your classrooms. A return link to the blog would be much appreciated please!
Egyptian Pectoral of Senusert II and Amethyst Necklace.

Egyptian Lion-head Collar and Armlets.

Egyptian Claw and Amethyst Necklace.

Cowry Collar and Armlets.

Gold Crown of Sat-Hathor-Ant.

Backs of Gold Pectorals.

Pectoral, Scarab, Rosettes of Crown, Ivory and Copper Knives, Mirror Shen.

Egyptian Gold Beads, Copper Razors, Whetstones and Lazuli Scarab.

Anklets and Armlets.

Gold and Ivory Casket Plan of Treasure Recess.
Alabaster and Obsidian Vases.

Thursday, May 16, 2013

lost wax casting

      Lost-wax casting (also called by its French name, cire perdue) is the process by which a metal (such as silver, gold, brass or bronze) sculpture is cast from an artist's sculpture. Intricate works can be achieved by this method, primarily depending on the carver's skills. In industrial uses, the modern process is called investment casting. An ancient practice, the process today varies from foundry to foundry, but the steps which are usually used in casting small bronze sculptures in a modern bronze foundry are generally quite standardized. The oldest archaeological and literary evidence of Lost-wax casting can be found in India, dating back nearly 5,000 years to the Harappan period.
      Other names for the process include "lost mould," which recognizes that other materials besides wax can be used, including tallow, resin, tar, and textile; and "waste wax process" or "waste mould casting", because the mould is destroyed to unveil the cast item. Other methods of casting include open casting, bivalve mould, and piece mould. Lost-wax casting was widespread in Europe until 18th century, when a piece-mold process came to predominate. Read more . . . 


This is a short video showing how we make our jewelry using 
a technique called lost-wax casting.

 More Related Content:

Friday, October 14, 2011

string a necklace made from seeds

The seed necklace above is from Mexico.

Brief Description: Stringing seeds to create jewelry and garlands is done by many different cultures of peoples. The seed necklace pictured here is from Mexico. However, native peoples in North America and many tribal peoples from Africa create similar crafts that also use the same methods. Seed necklaces are actually best strung while the seeds have not yet fully dried. This method makes it much easier for children to prick holes into the seed shells.


Supply List:
  •  A variety of seeds
  •  strong thin cord or dental floss for stringing
  •  An embroidery needle with a sharp tip
  •  one bar of ivory soap
  •  a soft terry cloth towel
  •  masking tape
  •  one small pumpkin
  •  one large metal spoon
  •  access to a wash basin or a large bucket of water
  •  knife to cut open the pumpkin
  •  liquid dish soap
Directions:
  1. Cut your pumpkin in half and hollow out it's interior with a large metal spoon.
  2. The seeds are easy to clean. Just soak them for a few minutes in the bucket of water and the pumpkin pulp with separate from the seeds with a little plucking on your part.
  3. Wash the seeds with a little liquid soap and then pat them down with a soft terry cloth towel.
  4. Wrap the dull end of your embroidery needle with a little masking tape, so that it will be easier to handle.
  5. Pierce each soft, pumpkin seed with a threaded needle.
  6. Use a bar of Ivory soap underneath your needle to keep it sharp and to avoid contact with surfaces or flesh.

A fresh pumpkin will provide ample seeds for a necklace or garland.
The best way to prevent cuts and pricks is to use a bar of ivory soap
to buffer the entire process of piercing seeds. Ivory soap is best because
it contains fewer of the dyes and perfumes that little ones could
possibly be allergic to.
Emilie Lefler shows you how to make seed bombs.

Links to more projects that include the use of seeds:

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Egyptian Jewelry Design Lesson Plan


Necklace with Egyptian Amulets may be seen in the 
collections of The St. Louis Art Museum.
Above are sample scarabs typically found in 
Egyptian jewelry design

Type of Lesson Plan: Object-based Lesson Plan/Reading Comprehension (Integrated Studies)
Topic: Egyptian Jewelry Design – Learn to bead a bracelet using stringing techniques found in ancient Egyptian jewelry collections
Objectives:
  • Students are able to identify ancient Egyptian jewelry designs compared to those designs of other ancient peoples.
  • Students are able to carve a simple bead.
  • Students are able to craft a press mold out of low-fire clay.
  • Students are able to produce a simple beading pattern with wire and seed beads.
Missouri Show-Me Standards: FA 3, FA 5, VA 1
ST Standards - CA 2, 3, 1.5, 1.6, 3.5
GLE’s:
Reading: Develop and apply skills and strategies to the reading process
H. Grade 6 – Apply post-reading skills to demonstrate comprehension of text:
  • Draw conclusions
  • Analyze text
Fine Art:
Strand III: Artistic Perceptions – Investigate the nature of art and discuss responses to artworks
A. Grade 6 – Discuss how different cultures have different concepts of beauty
Strand V: Historical and Cultural Contexts
A.    Grade 6 – Identify works from Ancient Egypt
Strand I : Product/Performance – Sculpture, ceramics, other media
A. Grade 6 – Create a relief artwork by joining two or more surfaces using a layering material
Grade Level Targeted: Middle School (7-9)
Number of Class Periods: five, 55minute class periods
Facility & Equipment Requirements:
  • Computer for power-point
  • Tables for students to work at
Resources needed for teaching lesson:
  • Power-point titled “Ancient Jewelry Design Part I” by Grimm
  • Article titled “A King’s Daughter and Her Personal Possessions”
  • Graphic organizer template for copying and a sample filled out for discussions
Materials Per Student:
  • Enough wire, dental floss and beads to complete a beaded bracelet
  • Wire snips (one set per table)
  • Copy of article “A King’s Daughter and Her Personal Possessions”
  • A blank graphic organizer
  • Pen or pencil
Vocabulary Terms:
  1. Headdress – This is a broad term for clothing for the head and it is also used to refer to jewelry for the head when the jewelry is not necessarily a crown or tiara.
  2. Scarab – The scarab is a beetle that is symbolic for eternal life or resurrection among the ancient Egyptians.
  3. Mascara – This is makeup used to specifically darken the eye lids.
  4. Inlaid – To inlay something is to set into it’s surface a decorative pattern of gems, stone, tiles, etc....
  5. Dressing Table – a smallish kind of a table used for one person to sit at and apply makeup or fix her/his hair, teeth, eyes etc....
  6. Casket – In this case a casket is a kind of small ornate box used for holding jewels but it is also a box used to bury a corpse
  7. Cartouche – In ancient Egypt, was a type of hieroglyph used to represent a person’s name
  8. Clasps – These are used as a type of brooch or fastener to hold two ends of a necklace, belt, or bracelet together
Step-by step literacy activity:
  • Students will be divided into small groups and will read together the article called “A King’s Daughter and Her Personal Possessions” by Dr. William C. Hayes.
  • Students will then fill out the graphic organizer included with their packet with their small group members.
  • Small groups will then rejoin the larger class and share with all of the students parts of their graphic organizers when called upon by the instructor.
  • After this activity a power point on ancient jewelry design will be viewed.
Step-by-step art activity: In this lesson I will teach students “how” to produce their own press mold from Sculpty clay.
  • First each student will be given a picture of an Egyptian scarab that they will reproduce in clay that I will provide along with some very tiny tools to help then carve the scarab
  • Then I will take the clay pieces home and bake these in my oven as directed on the package.
  • Then the students will be shown “how” to press their scarabs into clay in order to create a press mold for future beads. These will in turn be fired again in an oven over night.
  • Afterwards the beads may require some painting and sealing depending upon the clay that is available to me at the time.
  • After they have accomplished this process, I will then demonstrate for them the some basic stringing techniques used by jewelers.
Cleanup Time & Strategy: Allow for five minutes of clean-up time at the end of a studio lesson.
Assessment for art assignment: For the assessment of the literacy half of the lesson, students will be asked to transfer their graphic organizers to the chalkboard as a larger group. I will look and listen to confirm that all students have the opportunity to participate in the larger discussion and I will also collect the graphic organizers and grade them. These are the criteria I will be looking for when assessing the studio project:
  • The project was handed in on time.
  • The stringing is sturdy and the length is wearable
  • The clay addition is of the student’s own design
  • The molds are at least ½ inch even thickness all around for durability
Press molds made with hieroglyphic stamps and Sculpty clay.

Additional Resources for Power Point Presentations: I've included the following pngs. and descriptions given for the jewelry discovered at El-Lahun for those teachers who would like to develop a Power Point about Egyptian Jewelry. El-Lahun (alt. Illahun, Lahun, or Kahun [the latter being a neologism coined by archaeologist William Matthew Flinders Petrie]) is a village in Fayyum, Egypt. Associated with the pyramid of Senusret II (Greek: Sesostris II), it is located near the modern village of Al-Lāhūn (Arabic: اللاهون‎), and is often known by that name. Also nearby is the pyramid itself, known as the Pyramid of Lahun. The ancient name of the site was rꜣ-ḥn.t, literally, "Mouth (or Opening) of the Canal"), realized in the Fayyūmic dialect of Coptic as ⲗⲉϩⲱⲛⲉ). Read more...
 
All lessons copyrighted by Grimm, 2010
The above photograph is by the Saint Louis Art Museum, used by permission.